


slowdance on the inside

by sstensland



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: A bit of Hux/Finn, A bit of Hux/Poe, A bit of Hux/Rey, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But none go anywhere or go into detail, Lots of swearing and boys being dumb, M/M, Model!Hux, Pining, Stylist!Kylo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2018-03-31
Packaged: 2019-04-16 09:16:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14161611
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sstensland/pseuds/sstensland
Summary: The first time it happens, Kylo thinks nothing of it because he knows. He knows that Armitage Hux is attractive. Fuck, he’s the most gorgeous man that Kylo’s ever laid eyes on. And he knows. He deals with it nearly everyday. The way that his fiery ginger hair will occasionally fall into those pale green eyes. The way those soft lashes rest against his prominent cheekbones when he closes his eyes. The way the corner of his eyes crinkle and his eyes sparkle when he laughs. The soft, plush curve of his lips that beckon to be kissed and bit.Kylo Ren fucking knows and it kills him.





	slowdance on the inside

**Author's Note:**

> Based off a prompt from kylux-kink.  
> "Because Domhnall Gleason is pretty: modern AU in which Hux is a model and his longtime best friend Kylo is a stylist or something like it. People are constantly asking Kylo to introduce them to Armitage, thinking Kylo can get them a date. Kylo pretends like this is just an annoyance, but he's actually pining after the friend he's been in love with for a long time. Kylo (and snotty industry people) think that Kylo's looks are "unfortunate," so he assumes Armie will never want him. Fluffy ending!"
> 
> I tried.

The first time it happens, Kylo thinks nothing of it because he _knows_. He _knows_ that Armitage Hux is attractive. Fuck, he’s the most gorgeous man that Kylo’s ever laid eyes on. And he _knows_. He deals with it nearly everyday. The way that his fiery ginger hair will occasionally fall into those pale green eyes. The way those soft lashes rest against his prominent cheekbones when he closes his eyes. The way the corner of his eyes crinkle and his eyes sparkle when he laughs. The soft, plush curve of his lips that beckon to be kissed and bit.

Kylo Ren fucking _knows_ and it kills him.

But still, he thinks nothing of it when his yoga partner asks him if he can introduce her to him. At this point, Hux has made a name for himself. His face is on a billboard now. One that Kylo passes every single day as if to taunt him.

He smiles, nods his head. Of course he can introduce her. Rey isn’t Hux’s type. Not that Kylo knows what Hux’s type is, he just knows Rey isn’t it.

He sucks up whatever negative feeling that captures his mind and brings her along to their weekly bar night. Hux only has the smallest bit of annoyance written in his expression when he sees Kylo enter the club with Rey. Those sharp green eyes look over her for a second before they turn to him. Kylo suddenly feels uncomfortable. Wishes he had changed from the yoga pants and tank he had been wearing for his lessons. And Hux looks as perfect as Hux always does. His hair is pushed back with pomade, his dress shirt and jeans look carefree even though Kylo knows Hux spent at least an hour picking the outfit out. His face looks clean, soft, like he had just shaved. Kylo wants to reach out and touch. Run his fingers along the soft curve of his jawline, trail them over the soft spot of his neck where Kylo knows he’s ticklish. He swallows, hard.

“You’re late,” Hux says as he takes a sip from his martini.

“I’m sorry. I got a little held up.” Kylo tries to give off a carefree smile. “Um, this is Rey. Rey, this is—“

“I know.” She smiles, wide and bright. She sticks out her hand. “Armitage Hux. I cannot believe I’m actually seeing you in person.”

Hux takes a second before he reaches his hand out to shake hers. Kylo tries to not think about how their fingers linger together for longer than they have to. How the smile on Hux’s lips seems almost genuine. Kylo forces his attention on his drink, swirling the ice around the cranberry-vodka cocktail. He tunes out whatever conversation they have and sips at his drink. How did he ever think that this would have been a good idea?

They talk most of the night, and Kylo proceeds to feel like a third wheel. By the time they leave, Kylo knows he’s drunk. The world spins around him. Hux tries to speak to him, but he doesn’t hear the words.

Kylo doesn’t remember how the night ends.

—

Hux goes on two dates with Rey before he stops mentioning her.

Kylo doesn’t mind. He fakes a sadness when he talks to Hux about it while styling his hair for a shoot.

He knew she wasn’t his type.

—

The second time it happens, Kylo wants to say no. His mouth, however, has other plans. Finn is nice and pleasant. If Kylo has to be honest, Finn is one of the most genuine guys he’s ever met. He always has some sort of fundraiser being advertised for a good cause. During one of their conversation while they waited for the espresso to brew for Hux’s latte, he had mentioned that he donates his tip money to homeless shelters. Kylo’s made an effort to tip him every time after that.

When he asks about meeting Hux, it takes Kylo by surprise. Hux could be into Finn. It wouldn’t be a surprise for him to fall for Finn’s warm eyes and charming smiles and golden heart. For a second, Kylo wants to hate him.

But he agrees, and he talks to Hux.

Hux comes to the coffee shop with him the following day. A rare day off for the world’s most popular model. He’s dressed in a soft blue sweater that accents the blue-grey tones of his eyes. His hair is loose and falls casually across his forehead. It looks soft. Kylo holds back the urge to run his fingers through. (It’s ridiculous. He knows how those soft tresses would feel against his fingers; he’s done it plenty of times before.) His skinny jeans accent his long, skinny legs and the small curve of his ass. Hux looks good and he knows it.

Hux is polite when he orders his latte. Finn stares at him with wide eyes and a large smile. Kylo takes his coffee and sits at one of the tables. He messes around on his phone, opening chats that he hasn’t responded to in days: his mom, dad, Luke. He’ll get to it some day… just not today.

The bright, jubilant laugh fills in his ears. One that can only belong to Hux. Kylo tries to ignore it. Tries to ignore the pit of jealousy swirling around inside of him. He sends a quick text to Rey in an attempt to distract him. She doesn’t respond. Neither does Phasma, or Thanissan, or Poe.

He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. He should get it cut. It almost hits his shoulders now. But Hux had told him he liked it longer, that it suited him better. God, he’s fucking pathetic.

His eyes glance over at the counter where Hux and Finn are still talking. Finn has a wide grin spread across that handsome face of his and Hux is scribbling something down on a piece of paper.

Kylo wishes he said no.

—

He talks about Finn for two weeks.

Well, almost two weeks. There a few days scattered in between where Hux doesn’t say a word. He tries to ask Kylo how things are with him. Kylo shrugs and makes some comment about how his mother is hounding him to come home for the holidays again. He doesn’t want to. Hux tells him that he’s still invited to join him in London. He’s just gonna sit around his flat there anyway and it’d be nice to have some company. Kylo tells him he’ll think about it, but makes no promises. Hux looks almost disappointed at the near denial, but Kylo thinks nothing of it.

Those days, however, are a blessing. He craves those days where he can pretend it’s just the days of the two of them again. No boyfriends or girlfriends. Just Kylo and his best friend. He doesn’t recall falling so hard for him. Had it been a slow build up? Had it happened all at once? He doesn’t know.

Kylo just wishes Hux would shut up.

—

The third time someone asks Kylo if he could introduce him to Hux, he wants to rip his hair out.

He had thought he had one sane friend. One that could care less about the celebrities and glamour life. But Poe-Fucking-Dameron has to ruin that. Sure, they hadn’t been the greatest friends. Their personalities clashed a bit. (Or a lot.) But they had grown up around each other, went to the same school. Poe even stood up for Kylo when he had been bullied during middle school, long before Kylo was ever Kylo. Their relationship sat on a teetering see-saw. Unfortunately, when Kylo needed it to be good, Poe brought it right down.

But he says yes because he apparently fucking hates himself.

Kylo brings Poe to one of the smaller shoots; a quick editorial for some high end magazine. Poe stares in awe at the models he’s never even considered to be real--they had only been faces on paper. By the time they reach his station, Poe is too starstruck by everyone else to even notice Hux.

Hux looks at Kylo with confused eyes. Kylo shrugs and goes through his bag on the table, setting up his brushes and cosmetics.

When Poe finally realizes who’s in front of him, he breathes out, “Armitage.”

Kylo doesn’t have to turn around to know the look that’s coming over Hux’s face. Confusion at first, and then he looks over Poe, and the confusion is swept away into consideration. If anyone would have been Hux’s type, it would have been Poe. He’s gorgeous. Not in the skinny, awkward manner Hux is. No, Poe looks like he was chiseled by Greek sculptors as if he was a damned God. Kylo’s always been envious. He would never stand a chance when Poe is involved. Poe’s never had a struggle getting lovers. With one of his charming, confident smiles, he could have anyone he wanted. Kylo’s always been the one left out with his too big ears and too long limbs and too big lips. Why would anyone choose him when they could have Poe?

When he finally turns around to start working on Hux’s make up, he can already see that Hux is latched. Poe’s working his charm full force. Kylo takes a deep breathe to try and calm himself down. It’s no big deal. No big deal at all.

He clears his throat, causing the two of them to jump. Hux looks at him immediately. Pink stains at his skin. Hux is fucking blushing. Kylo clenches his jaw and makes an attempt to start doing his job.

Hux asks Poe if he could leave them alone for a minute. Poe agrees with an easy smile that Kylo wants to smack off him and a wave. Once he’s gone, Hux turns his full attention to Kylo.

He sees nothing more than those intense eyes staring at him, into him, trying to expose all of his secrets. Kylo freezes.

“What’s wrong, Kylo?”

“Nothing.” He looks away.

Hux gets up from his chair and closes the space between them, He lifts his hand up and places it under Kylo’s jaw. His skin is too sensitive to the touch. It’s all he can feel as Hux forces him to look at him. “Don’t lie to me. You’ve been upset this whole time. You haven’t said a word to me and you keep glaring at Poe.”

Kylo gulps. What can he say? That he just wants Hux to himself? That he wants Hux to look at him the same way that he’s looked at Rey, and Finn, and Poe? That he’s been in love with Hux since their Sophomore year of college when they took that trip to Vancouver and watch the look of pure happiness cross over Hux’s face when the snow started to fall? No, that would be lunacy.

“I just wish my friends would stop using me to get to you,” he says quietly, evenly. His eyes still can’t meet Hux’s, no matter how hard the man tries. His heart pounds against his chest. Why did Hux have to bring this up now? Why couldn’t he have waited? Or not just say anything at all.

“Does it bother you?” he asks, tilting his head. “That I indulge them?”

“No. Why would it?”

Hux doesn’t say anything. Just makes a small noise as if he’s debating something before he drops his hand from Kylo’s jaw. Kylo uses everything in his power not to whine at the loss of contact. He almost misses the college days where Hux would tumble back into their dorm room after a party, still drunk or high or whatever, and demand to sleep in the same bed as Kylo. He had never questioned it. Just allowed Hux access into the already too small bed. Every inch of them touched, and Kylo knew it was a bad idea. An awful, no good idea but he could never say no to Hux.

“You should sit so I can work. They’ll be calling you soon.”

“I know.” He gives his a smile before returning to his seat. “Work your magic.”

Kylo tries to smile. He doesn’t think he succeeds.

—

Poe gets an agent.

Poe gets a fucking agent and mysteriously ends up at most of the same shoots as Hux. Kylo tries to think of it as a coincidence, but he watches as Poe and Hux talk during their breaks. How Poe makes Hux laugh and blush while he watches from the side. How Poe’s hand lingers over Hux, touching his arm, his hip, his back. The jealousy rises through his system, and he knows he should move on from all of this. It’s been years and he’s done nothing. Hux has always made it obvious that he had never seen him as anything more than a friend.

He tries not to keep his attention on them. By the sixth shoot, Kylo is almost at the point where he doesn’t feel the want to rip all his hair out. Almost.

He watches from the side again. He doesn’t know if he should be watching this shoot. The two of them are shirtless: Hux tall,thin, and pale, keeping a towel draped over his shoulders in between shots, and Poe all muscle and tan skin and confidence.

Hands run over exposed skin, lips hover over one another. Kylo feels like he’s going to be sick. He’s never been a fan of these shots, regardless of who Hux was shooting with. The fact it’s currently the friend he hates looking so intimate, so in love with the friend he loves is enough to get him started. His fingers start to tremble before he clenches them into fists. Tears sting at his eyes as he tries to keep himself composed.

Hux looks at him for a brief second after the camera goes off. Their eyes lock and that’s all it takes for Kylo to walk away.

He doesn’t look back.

—

The fourth time someone asks him, Kylo tells them to fuck off.

He doesn’t care how much Mitaka only wants to get a picture with him and say hi. He doesn’t care if whatever intentions he has are innocent and decent. He’s sick and tired of being used. He’s sick of watching Hux with someone.

He apologizes to Mitaka a week later. Claims it was just stress, or whatever. Mitaka’s nice about it at least. Kylo’s always suspected that he feared him a little bit. That’s the only reason he can think of for Mitaka to so easily forgive him. He had in no way been decent to him.

Kylo doesn’t talk to Hux much outside of the makeup chair. Hux tried asking him what was wrong again the day after he walked out. Tried making him open up. Kylo didn’t want to go down that route, so he chose to ignore it. He’s been skipping their weekly club nights. He’s ignored phone calls and texts.

He’s a shitty friend, but he doesn’t know what else to do.

It’s the third club night that he’s missing when he hears the knock on his door.

The sound scares him, almost making him jump off the couch. He stares at the door for a second. His fingers tremble as he comes to the realization that it could only be one person. He gulps as he stands up. The knock comes again, this time more desperate, more erratic. With a deep breath, he opens.

Hux stands there looking as perfect as ever. He has on one of those soft blue sweaters again and his hair unstyled. The only thing that throws off his appearance is the red lining around his eyes, as if he had been crying. Kylo looks at him confused.

Why would he have been crying?

“What the fuck is wrong, Kylo?” His voice shakes, unable to keep the cool, leveled demeanor he’s always had. He storms into the apartment. “You storm out of a shoot one day and then refuse to talk to me. I’m your best fucking friend, Kylo. Does that mean nothing to you anymore?”

“No.” He watches him with wide eyes. “I… I just.”

“Just what?”

“I don’t know.”

Hux scoffs. “You don’t know? You don’t fucking know? You leave. You don’t answer my calls. You don’t talk to me. You don’t show up to the club for three weeks. And _you don’t know_?”

Kylo looks down at the floor. The words try to form in his head, but he can’t let them out. They stick to his tongue, He hears Hux step closer to him and his heart thunders his in chest. He’s ruined everything, again.

“Kylo, you’re the best part of my life. I wouldn’t be where I am today without you.” A pause. “I don’t know what I did or what happened, but I want to help. That’s what friends are for, right? Don’t push me away.”

Kylo bites at his lip. Hux has gotten closer. He can sense his body close to him, close enough where he could reach out and touch him. He doesn’t dare.

He takes a deep breath.

“I love you,” he says as calmly as he could. He still doesn’t dare look up at him. His palms feel sweaty. “I’ve loved you for a long time. Probably longer than I realized.” He gulps. “Just watching you on all these dates lately and everything with Poe… It just… it got to me. You know how I am feel my feelings.”

There’s a long, pregnant pause that doesn’t help Kylo. He hears his heartbeat in his ears, and did the room just get hotter? He gulps and dares a look at Hux. So many emotions dance along Hux’s face that he can’t make certain of them.

If he has ruined ten years of friendship, then so be it. If their friendship is meant to proceed the way it has been, than Kylo doesn’t know what he will do.

Hux steps closer; his footsteps seeming to echo in the quiet apartment. Kylo still can’t read into Hux’s mind, and every quiet second kills him.

A hand reaches up, and Kylo flinches, expecting the sting of a slap at any second. It nevers comes. Instead, he feels fingers brush the hair out of his eyes, ghosting just over his skin. His breathing halts. He stares. Hux’s face is still blank. Those green eyes look at him, searching for something.

“You’re so stupid, Kylo.” Hux chuckles, shaking his head as if this was the most ridiculous thing he’s ever seen. “I was going on those dates to make you jealous.”

Kylo blinks. “What?”

“I’ve been trying to ask you out for a year. I didn’t know if you were interested, and when you started bringing your friends around, I had the idea.” He shakes his head, as if realizing it was a stupid idea, and trails his fingers down Kylo’s jaw. “I was trying to get some reaction out of you. I wanted to see if you did return my feelings in any way. Apparently, it had been a stupid idea.”

Kylo gulps, still frozen in his spot and trying hard not to linger his thoughts on Hux’s fingers on him. “What are you trying to say, Hux?”

“That you’re a bloody idiot, Kylo.” A smile forms cross his lips, small, innocent.

Hux’s lips are on his before he can say a word. Soft, gentle, testing. They’re as soft as Kylo’s always imagined. He relaxes into the touch, into the way Hux’s hand moves to curl around his neck and pull him closer. His hands find their way to Hux’s hips, holding him still so he won’t disappear on him. Hux’s tongue teases along Kylo’s bottom lip. He parts his lips immediately.

He’s breathless by the time they split apart. His head spins; his heart pounds in his chest.

He smiles, laughs, feels like he’s dreaming.

“Get ready. We’re going on a date.”

“What?”

Hux looks at him, eyebrow raised. “I said, go get ready, we’re going on a date.”

Kylo stares for a second. Somehow, he knows better than to question it again. He’s waited years for this. He springs into life and rushes into his bedroom to get changed.

He still feels like he’s dreaming, but tries not to think about it.

Something in his life has finally gone right.


End file.
